Gene Monahan and his battle

For the first time in nearly five decades, the Yankees started a season without head athletic trainer Gene Monahan there to deal with the aches and pains and injuries. Monahan had his own ailment to deal with – cancer of the throat and tonsils. Wayne Coffey detailed not just Monahan’s fight today, but also his time with the Yankees. From when he joined the organization at a bat boy in 1962 to when he became head trainer to all the times George Steinbrenner fired him. It gets RAB’s highest level of recommendation.

The good news is that after surgery and 30 rounds of radiation treatment, Monahan is close to returning. He set a target date of June 1st, and after spending the last several months taking care of himself, he can get back to doing what he loves: taking care of others.